We all know how the oil and gas industry has revolutionised global power demands but, at the same time, how tricky and risky they are to handle. The oil and gas industry now has quite a vast infrastructure, making maintenance tougher day by day. Some pipelines are stretched across the terrain, offshore rigs are being functioned in the harshest weather and not just that, but also millions of tanks that require constant monitoring. All this infrastructure seems worthwhile, but when it comes to maintaining and inspecting it, it’s not an easy task.
For years, manual inspections were the backbone of maintenance. However, with the diverse spread of infrastructure, it became entirely unattainable to inspect how these industries were working manually. It was not just time-consuming but also risky and expensive, so new and smarter ways were required considering all the significant challenges.
That’s when AI-powered drones came into the picture; these machines were developed with advanced drones with AI intelligence that not only navigated complex structures but also collected detailed data that was nearly impossible to achieve by manual inspections. In this blog, Gis Drones is going to discuss how AI-powered drones are shaping the future of oil and gas inspection and setting the standards for operational excellence.
Challenges Of Traditional Inspection Methods
There is a very famous saying that Necessity is the mother of invention. That’s the exact case here, there were many challenges in conventional inspection methods that climbers had to face. Such techniques required climbing rigs, going in deep pipelines, and access into confined spaces that posed serious potential risks. Thousands of workers who used to do their jobs were exposed to hazardous environments, extreme temperatures and toxic gases that required not just diverse team training but also specialised equipment.
Due to these challenges, the frequency of inspections dropped significantly since the inspections became quite labour-intensive, which ultimately increased the downtime.
Advanced Features Of AI-Powered Drones
AI-powered drones have completely changed the process of inspections by combining flying ability with smart decision-making power. Now, these drones can fly to access risky places and can take high-quality pictures while collecting information by being still in the air. Now, there is no requirement for the workforce to operate and analyse the data taken by AI-powered drones manually. These drones can now significantly identify potential risks like cracks, rust, or gas leaks without the need for a person to check everything.
Eliminating Risks To Human Workers
The most significant reason behind shifting to AI powered drones by regulations was the safety of workers. When the team of professional workers used to do this job, they had to face extreme risks like operating in high temperatures, working in hazardous areas that would leak highly dangerous gases and whatnot.
With the advancements in drone equipment, the safety of workers has become quite evident. Drones are now equipped with thermal imaging cameras that can detect overheating sones or gas leaks from a safe distance.
Cost-Effective Maintenance
First and foremost, traditional inspection methods required diverse time in training the professional first and then allowing them to operate in certain areas. Such intense training did not just need a team of professionals but also expensive equipment, ultimately leading to costly downtime. AI-powered drones are now significantly contributing ist role into cost savings by identifying problems on time and reducing the need for large inspection teams.
Environmental Compliance
AI powered drones are now shaping the future of oil and gas by reducing the environmental footprint. With the advancements of time, it is evident that some companies are contributing to greenhouse emissions. Here, the role of drones comes into place; now, these drones can detect significant leaks like methane gases with their gas detection sensors. On time detection of these leaks can help in reducing the carbon footprint, thus increasing the global sustainability goals.
Conclusion
With time, every industry should update itself so it can compete in the potential market. As far as oil and gas industries are concerned, now these enterprises are transforming and progressing by utilising the power of AI drones while offering the safer and most efficient alternative to traditional methods of inspection.
AI drones are now helping companies in their operations, reducing costs while embracing the technology and staying ahead of the competitive and ever-evolving market.
